News and articles

August 07, 2012

Nipomo, Calif. – Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) employees from Diablo Canyon Power Plant helped support Make-A-Wish on Friday, August 3, by raising $15,000 at the 15th annual Nuclear Challenge Golf Tournament held at Monarch Dunes in Nipomo. More than 160 PG&E employees, plant vendors, and volunteers took part in the tournament to benefit the foundation's Tri-Counties chapter.

"PG&E's support through the Nuclear Challenge Golf Tournament helps Make-A-Wish grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions," said Shanna Wasson Taylor, chief executive officer for Make-A-Wish Tri-Counties. "This year's tournament guest of honor, cancer survivor Melinda Marchiano of Nipomo, was excited to thank PG&E's employees and vendors in person for their role in making wishes come true. Without the great effort of groups like PG&E our wish granting work would just not be possible."

In addition to being a Wish Child, 18-year-old Melinda is an author, inspirational speaker, dancer, cancer survivor, childhood cancer advocate, and a 2011 LIVESTRONG Leader. At age 13, Melinda was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma. When she was 14, and still recovering from cancer treatments, she began writing her story in spiral notebooks. Her finished work, Grace: A Child's Intimate Journey Through Cancer and Recovery, was published by Happy Quail on October 1, 2010.

For her wish, Melinda decided that she would like to tour children's hospitals to speak with kids, doctors and social workers to raise awareness about childhood cancers, hear the stories of the children, share her experience, and impart hope. Through Make-A-Wish's efforts, Melinda's wish came true, and she and her mother, Lee Marchiano, recently returned from a month-long tour of children's hospitals on the West Coast.

During the post-tournament event Friday, PG&E's Janis Bailey, a tournament organizer and supervising engineer at Diablo Canyon, presented a check to Make-A-Wish's Taylor on behalf of participating employees.

"PG&E is honored to once again support Make-A-Wish Foundation Tri-Counties as they continue to make the wishes of local children a reality," said Bailey. "Our employees, vendors and their families and friends are proud of their long-time commitment to Make-A-Wish through their participation in this annual Nuclear Challenge Golf Tournament."

Since the tournament's inception in 1997, PG&E employees have raised more than $200,000 for the local chapter of Make-A-Wish.

Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric utilities in the United States. Based in San Francisco, with 20,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation's cleanest energy to 15 million people in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit http://www.pge.com/about/newsroom/ andwww.pgecurrents.com.

Make-A-Wish grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength, and joy. With a staff of only four and the help of more than 100 volunteers, Make-A-Wish Tri-Counties has granted over 1,100 special wishes to children in Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties. If you want to refer a child to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, call 1-888-899-9474. Donations may be sent to Make-A-Wish at 4222 Market Street, Suite D, Ventura, CA 93001. To donate your vehicle or your airline miles, call 676-9474. For more information on these or other ways to help, visit our website at: www.tri-counties.wish.org.

Photos from Melidan's tour can be found here:
http://www.facebook.com/#%21/media/set/?set=a.10150777065547168.347646.60272247167&type=3

Melinda also video-blogged throughout her tour. Her latest video, filmed while visiting Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara where she was treated throughout her fight with Hodgkin's lymphoma, can be found at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeZ_KmOT_qQ&feature=channel&list=UL